The City of Cape Town’s law enforcement department has started impounding vehicles under the amended Traffic by-law of 2021.
This means vehicles with missing number plates, or number plates not securely fixed in place, still get fined, but now get impounded as well.
Unroadworthy vehicles, vehicles with defective lights, vehicles that are not according to original SABS specifications and illegally modified, will also now be impounded and not just fined.
This extends to unlicensed vehicles and unlicensed drivers.
The Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says for illegal street racers, even just being a spectator at these events, it’s all now covered under the Traffic by-law. As is wheel spinning or drifting.
”Failing to stop when ordered to do so, reckless and negligent driving or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) means you not only get arrested but your vehicle gets impounded until your court proceedings are complete- then only can you pay your impoundment fees and retrieve your vehicle. And sometimes these court cases can take several years.
In an effort to turn the trend of insolence and carnage on Cape Town’s roads, the Traffic by-law of 2021 was passed and promulgated in 2022. These penalty amounts have now been passed and published in the tariff schedules for the 2023 financial year that begun in July.
With the harsh action intended to bring about lasting reform, the amended Traffic by-law is the long awaited answer to the majority of lawful motorists who long to see an improvement in road safety.”
Smith has defended the harsher actions against errant motorists, saying that effective legislation like this could save many lives and many of the road tragedies could have been avoided if offenders had faced the consequences of their actions earlier.
Smith says it is also false that the City is unwilling and too intimidated to impound public transport vehicles, especially the minibus taxis, as this would result in violence. Smith says in the last year, the city has been impounding between 900 and 1200 taxis a month.
